Spring Fair International 2014, an i2i Events Group exhibition, opened its doors on February 2 2014 at The NEC, Birmingham, welcoming over 66,500 retail buyers, including more than 5,250 from overseas, a 2 per cent increase on last year’s show. They came to view over 300,000 new product launches from 3,000 exhibitors across 13 different market sectors.
As the largest and most important retail trade event in the country, Spring Fair serves as a crucial barometer for the economic health of the sector. What has been widely billed as the most successful show in years revealed a clear upswing in the home and gift trade, and billions of pounds worth of transactions will be carried out as a direct result of participation in the show.
The positive atmosphere on site at Spring Fair is supported by major industry research carried out by the Local Data Company on behalf of the show at the end of 2013 that shows a dramatic uplift in retail optimism.
Particularly strong product categories at this year’s show included design-led home interiors and furnishings, outdoor living items, contemporary gifts, seasonal decorations, general giftware and British-made product. Expert trend presentations from WGSN and Tom Mirabile, contributing editor for Pantone View and SVP, Global Trend & Design for Lifetime Brands, provided Spring Fair visitors with an overview of key emerging trends, as well as insights into what drives consumer spending habits and earns consumer loyalty.
Along with tens of thousands of independent retailers, senior buyers from the biggest multiples, supermarkets and department stores, including Fenwicks, Debenhams, Bentalls, John Lewis, Selfridges, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Fortnum & Mason and Tesco turned out in force for the UK’s largest retail trade exhibition.
Visitors were impressed by the quality and variety of product on display, with the bar being raised year-on-year as Spring Fair exhibitors pulled out all the stops to inspire and define retail buying for the year ahead. Gregory Olley, director of independent contemporary furniture store Beadle & Crome, commented.
A new development for i2i Events Group that positively impacted Spring Fair is a strengthened partnership agreement with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), designed to inspire and support UK-based SMEs in their efforts to succeed in overseas markets. UKTI helped Spring Fair achieve a 2 per cent increase in overseas visitors attending the show compared with the 2013 event.
The partnership boosted international representation at Spring Fair, helping to provide British suppliers with an entry point to international markets and featuring prominent ‘Best of British’ showcases and ‘Exporter’ trails throughout the exhibition. Five UKTI Villages were located around The NEC with a total of 50 hand-chosen exhibitors, all entrepreneurial British companies with a particular strength in export business that are new to the show.
Also taking place once again at Spring Fair was the Gift of the Year Awards ceremony, with winners being revealed on Sunday February 2 by special guest Sebastian ConranThe prestigious Judge’s Choice award was won by Thabto for its Subbuteo Bottle Opener, which also won the Commemorative and Collectable Gifts and Gifts for Men categories.
